Prime Collective

Budget Cuts Threaten CalWORKS Program(25 images)

Under California Gov. Jery Brown's budget proposal, more than 100,000 families, including 230,000 children, will lose their benefits entirely under the state's welfare-to-work program, called CalWORKs.

CalWORKs includes cash aid, food stamps, Medi-Cal, and a welfare-to-work component as well. A family of three receives a maximum of $526 in monthly food stamps.

Under California Gov. Jery Brown's budget proposal, more than 100,000 families, including 230,000 children, will lose their benefits entirely under the state's welfare-to-work program, called CalWORKs.

CalWORKs includes cash aid, food stamps, Medi-Cal, and a welfare-to-work component as well. A family of three receives a maximum of $526 in monthly food stamps.

Only people with children may receive CalWORKs aid. They may be single, but have to have at least one child to qualify.

Recipients from a one-parent family must complete 32 hours of work-related activity per week. This may include working a job, job training, education or a combination of activities. Recipients who earn money from employment have that income deducted from their monthly grant.

Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened total elimination of the CalWORKs program last year. But Democrats pushed back, and the program only sustained a 4 percent hit, resulting in a monthly grant reduction for recipients of $28.« less